Police Department Partially Encrypted

Great Barrington Police

Berkshire, Massachusetts

How we verified this

As of August 2026 Great Barrington's main police traffic is in the clear — the online Broadcastify feed "Southern Berkshire County Police, Fire and EMS" lists "Great Barrington Police/Southern County Police Operations 155.7750 PL 107.2" among the channels it monitors — while RadioReference carries one encrypted tactical channel, "158.910 | Gr.Barr PD16 | Police Tactical - Ch. 16 | DMRE".

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-09: radioreference.com . Encryption status changes without notice — confirm the current picture on the live RadioReference database before relying on it.

What you can do right now

Encryption Details

Encryption Type DMR Enhanced Privacy
Scope Some talkgroups encrypted; dispatch audible per verification
Technical Details DMR Enhanced Privacy

Berkshire County Context

Of the 2 public-safety agencies we track in Berkshire County, Great Barrington Police is currently the only one we have flagged as encrypted.

What This Means

This is a split system: certain talkgroups are encrypted while others remain in the clear, which means partial monitoring is still possible.

See encryption status nationwide Interactive map showing which US police departments have encrypted their radios. Open the encryption map →

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Great Barrington Police radio encrypted?

Yes. Great Barrington Police uses DMR Enhanced Privacy encryption. This is a split system: certain talkgroups are encrypted while others remain in the clear, which means partial monitoring is still possible.

Can I listen to Great Barrington Police on a police scanner?

Partially. Great Barrington Police encrypts some of its talkgroups while leaving others open, so some channels may still be accessible. Check RadioReference for specific talkgroup status.

Why did Great Barrington Police encrypt their radio?

Agencies cite officer safety and operational security. Those are assertions rather than findings — no local evidence is typically produced — while the effects are concrete and land straight away on anyone who relied on hearing Great Barrington Police to know what was happening nearby.

Can Berkshire County reverse the encryption decision?

Nothing technical prevents it. Great Barrington Police operates encrypted because someone decided it should, and decisions of that kind get revisited when councils hear sustained, organised pressure rather than isolated complaints.

What can I do about Great Barrington Police encryption?

Put the question to whoever signs off on Great Barrington Police's radio budget: why full encryption rather than a delayed feed or tactical-only channels? File for the recordings and the decision documents alongside it, and link up with neighbours and local reporters in Berkshire County so the ask arrives as a group rather than a one-off.

Data source: RadioReference Wiki

Checked against a primary source on 2026-08-09 — see "How we verified this" above. Encryption status changes; confirm at RadioReference before relying on it.

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